Filta expands waste oil collection network

September 21, 2011
By: Bryan Simms
Source: Biodiesel Magazine

A growing number of restaurants and other industrial facilities that use cooking oil will be frying green as Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions opened three new franchise locations in the U.S.—North Dakota, Florida and Virginia—to offer its leading cooking oil filtration and mobile fryer management service for commercial kitchens.

According to Rick Weise, owner/operator of the newly-opened Filta franchise in Fargo, N.D., told Biodiesel Magazine that Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions’ scope of business involves two main segments: FiltaFry and FiltaBio. Under its FiltaFry business, Filta uses an advanced microfiltration technology and vacuum-based cleaning system that’s capable of extending the life of cooking oil, eliminating the risk to employees associated with fryer upkeep and providing a superior level of food quality. As a result, Weise said businesses can potentially purchase less cooking oil, save on insurance claims and employees can come to work with the peace of mind that they are being provided a safe working environment.

“We can save them a significant amount of money on what they pay for their oil expenditures,” Weise said. “Plus, part of the service includes cleaning so they don’t have to boil the fryers.”

Under Filta’s FiltaBio service, the waste oil that’s collected from restaurants and industrial kitchens can then be used as feedstock for biodiesel production. Weise said FiltaBio was a “natural offshoot” of Filta’s FiltaFry service.

“[Filta] recognized that there was value with this oil and we were perfectly positioned to take the oil and make it readily available for biodiesel producers,” he said.

Only in business for a few months, North Dakota State University and the Fargo Dome have already signed on as clients for Weise’s new Filta franchise in Fargo, adding that he’s looking to hire a part-time technician and expand north to open another franchise in Grand Forks soon.

“Everything is going really well,” Weise said. “I’m getting booked up quick.”

New franchise locations were set up in Richmond, Va., and a new location in Florida that will service Northern Pinellas and Pasco Counties. The location marks Filta’s 14th location in the state.